"Stop staring, you look ridiculous."
"Yeah Lillith, my homework isn't going to do itself."
Lillith's face must have turned fifty shades at her friends' casual comments, not even looking up from their homework. "I don't know what you two talking about," she said stiffly returning to her DADA essay.
"Oh, give it up," said Rose tossing a few ingredients into her cauldron. "It's obvious that you aren't staring at me with that look on your face." Her tone was so dry and uncaring that it made Anne laugh stupidly, causing everyone in the Slytherin common room turn to look at them, including Draco Malfoy.
A small thump could be audible as Lillith fell to the floor from embarrassment, attempting to hide herself from his piercing blue eyes. "Anne," she hissed. "Shut up."
"Aww, come on I thought you hated him," Anne teased.
"I do. OW!" Her so called friends each took turns kicking at her. "I want to!" she groaned in surrender, throwing her head in her hands. "I think I'm broken."
"I think you are too, watch this. Oi, Malfoy!" Lillith was mortified as Rose waved at Draco, flailing her arms about.
Hearing his name being called in such a disturbing manner made his head snap to the insane ginger and sneer at her once he recognized her face. "Don't talk to me you filthy little mudblood." Then turned around to talk to his goons.
"Well wasn't that charming?" Rose smirked. Being the only muggle-born in Slytherin wasn't the easiest thing and she embraced it like a champion.
Lillith grimaced, she hated when Anne and Rose brought up the subject of blood status, her being part of one of the most prestigious pureblood families in Britain, the Serpens. "Was that really necessary?"
"Well it's obvious that she won't be invited to the wedding," said Anne, eyes alight, "does that means I can be Maid-of-Honor?"
"There will be no wedding!" Lillith finally broke, coming out of her hiding place. "Now. Would. You. Please. Drop. It!" With each word she took the time to punch each of them in the arm.
"Violence!" Anne yelped clutching her arm and reaching for her wand. "Violence was not needed!"
Rose had a different reaction. "You know what? I don't have to take this! All we're saying is that maybe you've been showing off in Quidditch more than usual. Now I'm going to my room where people won't break into violent outbursts! If that Defense Against the Dark Arts essay isn't done by morning than you can't have a vile of my potion! Now good day!"
She then gathered her things and stomped up the stairs with a begrudged Anne on her tail, leaving Lillith alone and with a lot to think about.
It wasn't until later while she was lying in bed did Lillith really think about her friends' words. Was she really trying to impress Draco Malfoy? It was true, normally she wouldn't care what he thought about her Quidditch skills but lately when she felt his eyes on her, her cheeks would heat up and her broom would do a series of tricks that she didn't even know she knew.
With a start Lillith's alarm clock rang loud and clear for her to hear. Thankfully Anne was snoring peacefully in her bed and Rose had snuck out a few hours ago to go visit George in Hogsmeade, Merlin knows how she was going to sneak past the Hogwarts gates but Lillith knew she'd somehow find a way, persistent witch.
Slowly creeping out of bed she took off her pajamas to reveal the school robes she had been hiding underneath.
Discarding them to the floor she opened the dormitory door then snuck to the common room and took one last fleeting look before opening the portrait door and racing through the series of hallways and moving staircases, finally ending up on the seventh floor.
"You're late," whispered a voice from the shadows. Lillith stared dully in the direction of the voice, not in the mood to argue. "I apologize master." She was always in the mood to be sarcastic though. "Let's just get this over with."
Even through the darkness she could make out one bleach blonde eyebrow raise in questioning. "Why so quiet, Serpens? Losing your nerve?" taunted Malfoy.
"Yes I have, now can we please-" she didn't get to finish, instead Lillith found herself pressed up against a wall with a large pale hand covering her mouth. "What are-?"
"Shh!" Now she heard it, the faint footsteps of a patrolling teacher, as well as serious muttering, pointing it towards it being Professor Trelawney.
Turning her attention back to Malfoy and how incredibly close they were standing. He looked flawless as always, blonde hair parted and slick even though it was two o' clock in the morning, perfectly dressed, never a wrinkle. He smelled of sandalwood and cinnamon, an odd combination that he somehow seemed to pull together.
Flickering her eyes up she noticed that he had been staring at her too, hazel clashed with icy blue. She licked her lips; apparently he had moved his hand away at some point. "We should probably start," Lillith mumbled.
She felt him move away and clear his throat followed by a slight creaking as he opened the door to the Room of Requirement. "After you," he murmured silkily holding it open for her as he walked through the threshold.
"After me," Lillith whispered softly to herself for no reason, but somehow those words made her feel better for what she was about to do.
Terrible retching and dry heaving sounds could be heard coming from the second floor girl's lavatory; it was a good thing that Lillith had cast a quick Muffliato before she had let loose her lunch.
She couldn't do this any more. This job was draining her, she couldn't remember the last time she had held down a meal. One of her best friends was a muggle-born for Merlin's sake, and the Mark on her forearm taunted her. With that thought another round of dry heaves came into perspective.
"You know there are other bathrooms in the castle," whined a shrilly voice from above her. "As you can see, this one is taken."
"Go away Myrtle," Lillith growled, stomach finally semi-settled and ready to take the chance of standing up.
"You know he's a lot nicer than you," Myrtle said casually floating over to the sinks where Lillith was headed. Lillith chose to ignore her, not in the mood to have conversation with a whiny ghost. "He talks a lot about you, you know, though I couldn't tell you why."
Lillith stopped fixing her hair. "Who talks about me?" she asked whipping around.
"Draco Malfoy of course," Myrtle cooed. "Who'd you think it be?"
"Well what does he say?"
"Pushy aren't we now? Well he just talks about how he's afraid of some task you two are to complete. He said that he's worried about you, you haven't been getting enough sleep and that if you want to survive you need to drop that muggle-born. Very touching if you ask me, I wish I had a boyfriend like that."
"He's not my boyfriend! I mean, is that all he says about me?" Did Draco really talk about her? And worry about her health?
"Why don't you ask him? I can hear his footsteps coming down the hall right now. Good luck!" Myrtle squealed and with that she twirled in the air then threw herself down the nearest toilet.
At that exact moment the door to the bathroom slammed open and in flew a streak of white that ran past her and hunched over a sink. Strange noises emitted from Draco, almost like he was crying, Lillith didn't know what to do. Hell, she didn't even know if this was real. So with a straight back and a determined spirit Lillith cautiously approached him.
"Draco?" she asked quietly once she was close enough. "Are you alright?"
She could visibly see him freeze and the sobbing sounds stopped abruptly, slowing he turned around to face her; once he was fully turned she had to hold her gasp in. Tear tracks covered his cheeks and his eyes were red as sin. "Draco…" she was speechless. "What happened?"
He opened his mouth to speak but whatever he was going to say was lost as the door burst open again.
"You did it, didn't you Malfoy?" cried Harry Potter. "You were the one who cursed Katie Bell!"
The last thing Lillith could register was being pushed to the side and curses flying through the air. She wanted to help and end this all but when Draco pushed her, her wand hand fallen out of her pocket and its location was unknown at the moment. "SECTUMSEMPRA!" she heard Harry scream along with a horrible ripping sound and then it was silent.
With a speed she didn't know she possessed, Lillith came out of the stall she had taken cover in and ran over to the two boys. Letting out a blood-curdling scream she backed up against the wall and slid down to the ground, unable to look at the blood soaked and broken Draco that lay dying and helpless on the cold tiled floor.
It was dusk and he still hadn't woken up, she'd stayed with him the whole time too, half sitting on the bed with his hand in hers. 'I should have helped him' she thought, 'I could have stopped this.'
Closing her eyes in grief she could hear a pair of footsteps coming from behind her. "Harry and I will be leaving soon." Dumbledore's voice was gentle and understanding. "It should be happening tonight as Professor Snape has informed me. I hope I know where your heart truly lies."
Lillith nodded with her eyes still shut, unable to speak.
"You have only an hour left, I want to thank you for all that you've done." His last words to her as he turned on his heel and left her alone with Draco and a torn heart.
"YOU FILTHY LITTLE BLOOD TRAITOR!" Bellatrix Lestrange screeched throwing another killing curse Lillith's direction, which she sidestepped easily. "HOW COULD YOU BETRAY YOUR MASTER?"
Lillith didn't answer; instead she took another handful of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and tossed it in the air to make her escape. She followed Harry Potter out of the castle and down to Hagrid's Hut where most of the Death Eaters were. Lillith could see and hear Harry screaming at Snape about how he had betrayed the now deceased Headmaster.
She scanned the small crowd and picked out Draco among the out skirts of the group, not wasting any time she made her way towards the blonde and snuck up behind him. "Malfoy," she whispered trying to gain his attention, and she did, but not without a startled hex from him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly. "You showed where you stood on the Astronomy Tower."
Lillith smiled sadly and put a hand to his cheek. "Forgive me." Then her lips were on his, the kiss was soft and full of guilt, pulling away before he even had a chance to respond. When she pulled back, Draco's eyes were full of surprise and his hand was raised as if to pull her back to him.
With one more kiss to the cheek Lillith bid him good bye and dissolved into the air as she prepared herself the long war ahead.